Just Plum Good!

We've got great Italian Plums on a tree in the back, and I've been looking for a good little recipe for them for awhile... this one does the trick. It's pretty easy, very tasty and oh, so summer-licious! It reminds me of something you'd get from a little patisserie...

Rustic Plum Tart

Single-crust pie dough (your favorite recipe)

5 oz. almond paste

9-10 smallish Italian plums, sliced

about 3 T. sugar (depending on tartness of fruit) mixed with

1 t. finely ground cardamom

Put the rolled out pie dough on a cookie sheet (about 12-inch circle), then roll the almond paste into an 8-inch circle between plastic wrap. Lay the almond-paste circle on top of the pie dough—centered—then start arranging the sliced plums however you'd like. Fold up, and crimp, the sides of the dough (brush the edges of the dough with milk if you'd like) then sprinkle the cardamom sugar over the fruit and a little on the edges of the dough.

Bake at 425-degrees F for 10 mins. then reduce temp and bake at 375 for about 20 mins or until fruit is soft and a little juicy. Cool on rack and eat warm or at room temp. Excellent with vanilla ice cream.

Mama Mia!

Erik saw me mixing up pizza dough tonight and was very interested, so I let him help. He dove right in and kneaded a little himself (and tasted it) too.

Jiffy makes a pretty respectable pizza crust mix (I'd usually use Steve's recipe, but I was in a hurry tonight). Kneaded it in rye flour, brushed with EVOO, sprinkled with chiffonade of fresh basil from South 47's herb garden, layered on sliced fresh tomatoes, sliced Sweet Pesto Turkey Sausage (from TJ's) and goat cheese (TJ's also). Baked about 16 mins. at 425 F. Bloomin' brilliant! And, our little man agrees.

Tres Leche Cake

Delicious. Make it: http://sewdarncute.typepad.com/sew_darn_cute/2007/07/apologies-and-c.html. But, for your health at least sub out the whole milk for 1% and the sweetened condensed with nonfat sweetened condensed milk. Tasty and better for you!